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Ilha de Faro, Portugal

Stay in Faro (Sé e São Pedro): see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Faro (Sé e São Pedro)

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About Ilha de Faro

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces SW (210°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (30°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–6 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 950 m out (1 in 95). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 16°C in February, its coldest month (3/2 wetsuit), and 21°C in July, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For beginners the best months are usually January, February, October and November, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Faro (Sé e São Pedro), 4.7 km away (about 10 min by car).

Water about 21°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 16 h 25 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Faro - Gago Coutinho International Airport (FAO), changing at Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS). About 4 flights a week that month.

    See flights ORD → FAO · Skyscanner from about £410 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 20 min from the airport to Ilha de Faro.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in Faro (Sé e São Pedro)Ad

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Faro (Sé e São Pedro) · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Faro (Sé e São Pedro) · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Ilha de Faro on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct162 ft7 smushy32kJ22°C
Mon 19Oct61 ft8 ssoft6kJ22°C
Tue 20Oct121 ft12 ssoft39kJ21°C
Wed 21Oct101 ft10 ssoft26kJ22°C
Thu 22Oct111 ft7 smushy15kJ21°C
Fri 23Oct61 ft7 smushy8kJ22°C
Sat 24Oct131 ft5 smushy7kJ21°C
Sun 25Oct51 ft4 smushy2kJ21°C
Mon 26Oct71 ft5 smushy3kJ25°C
Tue 27Oct121 ft7 smushy16kJ25°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly ORD to FAO, changing at LIS, then 20 min by road. About 16h 25 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to FAO, changing at LIS, then 20 min by road. About 16h 25 door to door

The trip from Faro (Sé e São Pedro), with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £840–£1,600 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to FAO, estimated from distance and season, changing at LIS, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£410–£850
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Taxiairport and back, shared£15–£25
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£160–£265
Food7 days eating out£150–£280
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£70–£115
Total£840–£1,600

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Faro (Sé e São Pedro)

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.